'Urgent action' needed to save Aussies from heatwave deaths

Australia could face a dramatic surge in heatwave-related deaths if governments don't do more to help communities adapt to climate change, a major Australian-led study has warned.

Tropical and subtropical areas across South East Asia and South America are likely to face the steepest rise in heat-related deaths if measures aren't put in place to help people live with warmer temperatures in the coming decades.

A team of international researchers based their findings on various scientific models, which predicted that under the most extreme scenarios there would be a 471 percent rise in deaths as a result of heatwaves in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne between 2031 and 2080, compared with the four decades to 2010.

Lead author Yuming Guo, an associate professor of environmental epidemiology and biostatistics at Monash University in Melbourne, said the findings were a warning to governments to introduce adaptation strategies such as better urban planning and public education campaigns.

Associate Professor Guo said the government "should do a lot of things" to mitigate climate change and help people adapt to heatwaves.

"For the mitigation, the government should make policy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, through taking action to encourage high technology development (and) shutting down some low-efficient industries," he told 9News.com.au.

A study led by a Monash University professor has predicted a massive rise in heatwave deaths between 2031 and 2080. Picture: AAP (AAP)

"For the adaptation, government should take urgent action to help people adapt to the increase of temperatures. For example, make policy to improve the health services, reduce poverty, develop (a) heatwave warning system, improve urban planning and management, improve the built environment standard, plant trees in public areas, and provide public drinking water."

"That highlights how important our study is in providing evidence for governments to do something, particularly in Australia where the government has cut off a lot of funding for climate change research."

Much of Europe, parts of Asia and North America have spent the past few weeks sweltering through heatwave conditions.

Canada and Japan have each recorded at least 30 heat-related deaths as temperatures soared during July.

In the short term, policy was also needed to help people adapt to heatwaves. Picture: AAP (AAP)

Previous studies have warned of a future increase in the number and severity of heatwaves as a result of climate change, but the research by Assoc Prof Guo and his team is the first to look at the potential impact heatwaves may have on death rates around the world.

The researchers describe heatwaves as a critical public health problem because they can cause heatstroke and cramps, as well as induce the onset of conditions including cardiovascular disease, respiratory diseases and diabetes.

The models used to estimate future heatwave-related deaths included data on future greenhouse gas emissions, population growth, and hypothetical changes governments could introduce to help communities cope with warmer temperatures.

Parts of the northern hemisphere have been suffering heatwave conditions in the past few weeks. Picture: AAP (AAP)

They then applied that data to estimate links between heatwaves and deaths in 412 communities across 20 countries.

They found that if governments don't introduce any measures to help communities adapt, heatwave-related deaths are expected to rise most in tropical and sub-tropical countries, with Colombia, the Philippines and Brazil facing the biggest increases.

If adaptations are made, mortality rates are still expected to rise in most countries, but at a smaller rate.